Joseph Mallord William Turner

The King’s Theatre, Haymarket, London: The Interior Seen from the Gallery

c.1796

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment
Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of
Drawings Related to the ‘Studies near Brighton’ and ‘Wilson’ Sketchbooks, and Other Subjects
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
Support: 245 × 384 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference
D01899
Turner Bequest XLIV W

Catalogue entry

Finberg identified the theatre as Covent Garden, but this is in fact the King’s Theatre, Haymarket, built to designs by Michael Novocielski in 1791; these were modified by Mariani in 1796, and Turner’s drawing seems to record the interior prior to that date. It had a seating capacity of 4,000.1 Turner’s interest in the London theatres is well attested, and it has been suggested that one of his early posts was assistant scene painter at the Pantheon in Oxford Street (see Tate D00121; Turner Bequest IX A).
1
See Iain Mackintosh and Geoffrey Ashton, The Georgian Playhouse, exhibition catalogue, Hayward Gallery, London 1975.
Technical notes:
The sheet has been folded vertically at the centre.
Verso:
Blank

Andrew Wilton
January 2013

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